William Gagnon, vice president of marketing for Excel Dryer Inc., said hand dryers such as the Xlerator XL-BW are no louder than other everyday noises.

(Excel Dryer, Inc. - Excel Dryer Inc.)

Public restroom hand dryers have gotten faster, sleeker and more energy-efficient. But they’re also louder than ever, making them a growing nuisance for millions of people with noise-sensitivity issues.

With some high-speed hand dryers cranking out as much as 100 decibels, public restrooms can sometimes sound like a Megadeth concert. And that’s not exactly music to the ears for those with hearing-related issues including tinnitus, a constant ringing in the ears, or hyperacusis, a disorder that makes people unusually sensitive to noise.

Earlier this year, Oregon state Sen. Chris Edwards proposed legislation in his state to limit public hand dryers to 84 decibels because louder models are “extraordinarily obnoxious and disruptive” to people with sensory disorders, including his autistic son, who cries and covers his ears when he’s near loud hand dryers.

While Oregon lawmakers weigh the Democrat’s proposal, some hearing experts have already made up their minds on high-decibel models like the Excel Xlerator and the Dyson Airblade.

“They’re a real cause for concern,” said Dr. Deanna Meinke, an audiologist and a professor at the University of Northern Colorado. “It’s just one more unnecessary source that adds to our cumulative exposure to noise.”

Meinke, co-director of the public health initiative Dangerous Decibels, said sudden blasts of sharp, shrill noise from a high-speed hand dryer can be jarring to children and adults who are sensitive to noise.

“They’re really frightening to people. I personally avoid them whenever I can. … If I have an option, I’ll use a paper towel,” she said.

Of course, many businesses are eliminating towels to cut down on cost and waste. Excel advertises its dryers with the slogan “Time to throw in the towel.”

But the bigger problem for noise-sensitive people is when a stranger next to you in the restroom turns on an extremely loud hand dryer when you’re not expecting it.

“The noise hits you out of the blue when you’re going about your business, and you can’t even put your hands up to your ears,” said William Foley, a Dallas pianist and composer. “I’m very sensitive to noise, and these things drive me crazy. It feels like someone is grating your back with a sharp gardening tool.”

Public hand dryers have been around for nearly a century, with the first U.S. patent approved in 1921. Early models were controlled by a foot pedal, with later models operated by a push button or automatic sensor.

In recent years, many businesses have replaced their hot-air hand dryers with high-efficiency models that shoot out horizontal jets of cool air that will dry hands in 10 seconds or less, compared with up to 60 seconds drying time for the old models.

But the faster the air, the higher the decibels, especially when the air jet collides with a person’s hands.

A recent study released by the University of Michigan and 3M Corp.’s E-A-RCAL Acoustical Laboratory measured the noise from several popular models at ear level. According to the report, the Dyson Airblade AB 02 produced 90 decibels, the Xlerator emitted 97 decibels and the Xlerator XL-BW gave off 100 decibels.

The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health recommends that workers keep their noise exposure below 85 decibels for an eight-hour shift. But at 100 decibels, NIOSH recommends less than 15 minutes exposure per day.

Since nobody uses hand dryers for 15 minutes, the devices are not likely to cause permanent hearing damage, Meinke said. But even short exposures to loud noise can worsen tinnitus, a constant ringing in the ears experienced by 10 percent of U.S. adults, or about 25 million Americans, according to the National Institutes of Health.

“We caution people to avoid sound exposure that aggravates their tinnitus,” Meinke said.

William Gagnon, vice president of marketing for Excel Dryer Inc., said hand dryers shouldn’t be singled out as a nuisance since they’re no louder than other everyday noises: “The sound inside of a subway car registers at 95 decibels, and people are exposed to this level of noise for far longer than a hand dryer,” he said.

Robert Green, head engineer at Dyson, says his company understands that noise from their hand dryers can be jarring. “However, there are several other washroom products that can emit decibel readings in the 90s, such as automatic toilets.”

Health experts counterthat people who suffer from hyperacusis are often aggravated by noises that are far quieter than a hand dryer. “You’ll talk to a woman who complains the refrigerator is making a really loud noise, while her husband says he can’t even hear it,” said Dallas audiologist Lydia Ramanovich.

Ramanovich said some patients with hyperacusis are advised to practice “sound enrichment,” a technique in which they gradually increase their exposure to everyday noises instead of avoiding them.

But Meinke said the ultimate solution is for people to demand a reduction in the prevalence of loud noises, including high-decibel hand dryers.

“In Europe and other parts of the world, they’re very cognizant of sound levels and they have higher standards. They’re not filling their world with noisy things,” she said. “I’d tell these hand-dryer companies they need to engineer a quieter hand dryer.”

That’s already starting to happen. In response to concerns about high decibels, Excel has developed a noise-reduction nozzle that lessens the volume by up to nine decibels while adding two to three seconds drying time.

The nozzle is available as a no-cost option on all new Xlerator models, and existing units can be retrofitted. Businesses can also buy a separate noise-lowering control dial to attach to new or old Xlerator units.

Dyson’s Green says his company’s newer models have been redesigned to cut noise 50 percent from the original.

But until all public restroom hand dryers become quieter, what’s a noise-sensitive person to do when nature calls?

Gagnon of Excel Dryer suggested that people lower their hands away from the air outlet, which reduces the noise although it lengthens the drying time. Foley, the Dallas musician, said he’s learned to carry around inexpensive foam earplugs in case he encounters loud noises in public places, including restrooms.

But what if you don’t have earplugs handy when the person next to you in the restroom suddenly fires up a super-noisy hand dryer?

“You could always put your wet hands on your ears to cover them,” Meinke said with a laugh. “When it comes to your hearing, you have to use any preventative strategy you can.”